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CYRUS H. HARDY, OF OHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO` HIM- SELF AND GEORGE JAQUES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 64,528, dated llfag/ 7, 1867,

IMPROVED BED-BOTTOM.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, CYRUS HARDY, of Charlestown, in the 'county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain improvements in Spring Bottoms for Beds and other articles of upholstery, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompartying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan of a bedstead with my improved spring bottom applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan ofthe under side of the same.

Figure 3 is a side elevationiof the same.

Figure 4 is a'transverse section on the lines x :l: of gs. 1 and 2l A Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the sections of my improved spring bottom inverted, to better illustrate its construction.

Figure 6 is a detail, representing one of my improved springs, and the rod or pinby which it is operated.

Figure 7 is a modification of the same.

Spring bed-bottoms, as heretofore constructed, only approximately perform the office for which they are designed. Those provided with slats extending longitudinally and transversely across the frame are objeetionable on account of their rigidity, and also because they sink away in the centre, whatever be the position assumed by the occupant; and spiral springs enclosed vvithin a covering or canvas are objectionable because the pressure occasioned hy the Weight of the occupant is communicated tot-he entire bed, and he is inclined to roll to one side of the centre, while, when two occupy the same bed, neither one can change position Without moving the other; andin consequence of the shape ofthe double-cone or hour-glass" springs, being small in the middle and large at their ends, they are weak and liable to be bent over.

My invention has for its object to obviate the above-mentioned diiiculties, and consists in a series of sepa-rate and independent coiled lever springs secured to sectional frames, forming the bot-tom of the bedstead or other .article to which they are applied, each spring being operated by a vertical rod or pin, upon the top or head of which the mattress is placed, the arm or lever end of the spring moving freely in'a slot or recess in the bottom of its pin, by which construct-ion, when pressure is appliedupon the mattress and the pin thereby depressed more and more, the length of the leverage is increased and the spring rendered more lightand sensitive, thus successfully accomplishing thc desideratum heretofore unattained by the employment of any other description of spring. 4

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have-carried it out. o

In the said drawings, A is the bedstead, along the inside of each of the longitudinal pieeesa of which extends a projecting strip or flange, Z1, which supports the upper rails c of sectional frames B. (Z are the lower rails of these frames, between which and the upper rails c are placed rectangular bloclrs e, by which a space, C, is formed Vbetween the rails, which are secured together in any suitable manner. Through the centre of' the upper and lou-er rails c d, and at short intervals apart, are formed circular holes, the posit-ion of the holes in one sectional frame being opposite to points half way between two contiguous holes in the adjoining sectional frame. Through these holes pass vertical rods or pins D, upon the upper ends of which are secured caps or buttons 7L; the lower ends of these pins being somewhat flattened, as seen at t', figs. 5, 6, and 7, and provided with circular holes 7c, for a purpose now to be explained. E are coiled lever springs, of brass, wire, or other suitable material, and of the form seen in iigs. 5 and '6, the innor'ends Zef which are secured to the under side of the rails d, while their out-er ends m, which are straight, or nearly so, extend diagonally across them, andv pass through the holes k in the lower ends of the pins D, the size of these holes being sufficient to aller the straight portions m of the springs to move freely therein when the pipas D are depressed. When the pins are in their normal position, the tops of the caps or buttons are all in the same horizontal plane, as seen in figs. 3 and 4, but when the bed is occupied, the pins immediately under and around the occupant commence to be depressed unequally, the degree of depression corresponding to the pressure imparted thereto by the unequal weight of the respective portions of the body, while the pins in nearly all the remaining portion of the bed not covered by the occupant are depressed but very slightly if at all." .,/V

The manner in which the springs are operated by the pins, and the effect produced and position occupied by them when submitted to different degrees et' pressure, will new be described. As each pin D commences to be depressed, the straight portion m of the spring E connected with itsl lower end, is presed down from the under side of the lower raild, and slides freely through the hole 7c, in such manner that the length of the leverage ofthe spring is increased, and when the pin is depressed at its lowest point, in the position indicated by fig. 6, the eiectual length of the lever is greatest, the bed becoming more and more elastic as the leverage is increased; whereas, with every other spring, the contrary effect is produced. The pins stand erect under pressure, and the strength of the parts is not in the least impaired, whatever be the weight of the party oecu-l pying the bed, and they immediately return to their original position on being liberated therefrom. F are screw clamps, by means of which the sectional frames are secured in place` after being adjusted at the required" distance from each other bysliding them along the projecting rails b. v

Among the advantages which the above-described bed-bottom possesses over those ofthe ordinary conf struction may be enumerated the following, viz: On account of its being made in removable sections a. hard bed may be almost instantly changed into a soft one, or vice versa, by increasing or reducing the number of sections, or by placingihcm nearer together or farther apart. The amount of play or compass of Inyimproved-l springs is greater than that of any other spring, and it is also exceedingly, durable, and not liable to derangement, and for transportation is peculiarly convenient, asthe several parte may be readily removed, and packed so as to occupy but little space.v It isfree from noise and dust, and ofers but slight resistance to pressure, and as the action of each spring is independent of the other, the'position of the pins forms a series of undulating curves, which yield and support the occupant from head to foot as buoyantly as a cork upon water, irre'- spective of weight, form, or position. Owing to the extreme sensibility of the spring but one mattress is required, thereby rendering the bed cooler in warm weather, and I am enabled to furnish a morelluxurious bed than those now made, andat a less cost. Instead of a spring constructed as above described, in which the coil is unwound by depressing the pin D, a spring arranged as shown in dg- 7 may be employed, in which the coil is wound up by depressing the pin, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Claim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters'Patent, is- The series of coiled lever springs E, operated by pins D, or their equivalent, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

'CYRUS H. HARDY.

Witnesses:

P. E. TEseHnMneHEn, N. W. STEARNS. 

